What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04/23/2023 at 18:24 MDT privacy data omitted, Learjet 35A, s/n 335 departed klas las vegas, NV for kmdw midway, IL on a part 91 repositioning flight for privacy data omittedair ambulance part 135 air operator privacy data omitted. Four crew members onboard, two pilots and two clinical. Aircraft was fueled with 674 gallons of jet- a at privacy data omitted FBO at klas before departure. At cruise altitude, FL350, 30 minutes into flight, #2 engine had itt and N1 fluctuations and lost power. Crew diverted back to klas. Approximately five minutes later #1 engine also began itt and N1 fluctuations and lost power. Emergency was declared and crew attempted unsuccessful engine restart. Crew dead sticked the aircraft into kpga Page, AZ. Aircraft glide landed safely into kpga.
FAA poi notified me of the incident at 12:30 local on 04/24/2023. privacy data omittedAir ambulance vp and doo had notified him on the night of the incident. I contacted the dom and he sent me current engine time maintenance data. He also started the SDR process iaw 14 CFR § 135.415. Fuel truck in question at klas has been quarantined and privacy data omitted FBO management has been notified of the incident. Aircraft is being stored in a hangar at kpga. privacy data omitted Testing out of los angeles, CA will be enroute to kpga on 04/25/2023 to accomplish fuel testing on the aircraft.
privacy data omitted FBO personnel admitted to def contamination of the fuel truck fsii tank. Fuel analysis on 04/28/2023 from the Learjet supported def contamination. The FBO investigation side of this incident is being handled by las FSDO. WP19 sas ar records noted below to this sas ar (SO11202305024) and each of the WP19 sas ar’s are linked to each other as well. WP19202301649, WP19202301650 and WP19202301660.
The aircraft will remain in storage until the legal case is settled. The aircraft may be beyond economical repair due to the cost of decontamination.
NTSB is also working this incident under WPR23LA167. Prior cases of def contamination had safety recommendation to ban def at airports but this was not successful due to epa according to FAA aviation fuels office of senior technical experts aviation safety | aircraft certification service. I am currently working with NTSB and FAA safety recommendations branch office of accident investigation and prevention to submit a safety recommendation for adding colored dye to the fueling truck def containers or some type of labeling/storage solution to mitigate the risk. I am also collaborating with the aircraft diesel exhaust fluid contamination working group on this.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04/23/2023 AT 18:24 MDT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, LEARJET 35A, S/N 335 DEPARTED KLAS LAS VEGAS, NV FOR KMDW MIDWAY, IL ON A PART 91 REPOSITIONING FLIGHT FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AIR AMBULANCE PART 135 AIR OPERATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. FOUR CREW MEMBERS ONBOARD, TWO PILOTS AND TWO CLINICAL. AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED WITH 674 GALLONS OF JET- A AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FBO AT KLAS BEFORE DEPARTURE. AT CRUISE ALTITUDE, FL350, 30 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT, #2 ENGINE HAD ITT AND N1 FLUCTUATIONS AND LOST POWER. CREW DIVERTED BACK TO KLAS. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER #1 ENGINE ALSO BEGAN ITT AND N1 FLUCTUATIONS AND LOST POWER. EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED AND CREW ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFUL ENGINE RESTART. CREW DEAD STICKED THE AIRCRAFT INTO KPGA PAGE, AZ. AIRCRAFT GLIDE LANDED SAFELY INTO KPGA.
FAA POI NOTIFIED ME OF THE INCIDENT AT 12:30 LOCAL ON 04/24/2023. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AIR AMBULANCE VP AND DOO HAD NOTIFIED HIM ON THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT. I CONTACTED THE DOM AND HE SENT ME CURRENT ENGINE TIME MAINTENANCE DATA. HE ALSO STARTED THE SDR PROCESS IAW 14 CFR § 135.415. FUEL TRUCK IN QUESTION AT KLAS HAS BEEN QUARANTINED AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FBO MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. AIRCRAFT IS BEING STORED IN A HANGAR AT KPGA. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TESTING OUT OF LOS ANGELES, CA WILL BE ENROUTE TO KPGA ON 04/25/2023 TO ACCOMPLISH FUEL TESTING ON THE AIRCRAFT.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FBO PERSONNEL ADMITTED TO DEF CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL TRUCK FSII TANK. FUEL ANALYSIS ON 04/28/2023 FROM THE LEARJET SUPPORTED DEF CONTAMINATION. THE FBO INVESTIGATION SIDE OF THIS INCIDENT IS BEING HANDLED BY LAS FSDO. WP19 SAS AR RECORDS NOTED BELOW TO THIS SAS AR (SO11202305024) AND EACH OF THE WP19 SAS AR’S ARE LINKED TO EACH OTHER AS WELL. WP19202301649, WP19202301650 AND WP19202301660.
THE AIRCRAFT WILL REMAIN IN STORAGE UNTIL THE LEGAL CASE IS SETTLED. THE AIRCRAFT MAY BE BEYOND ECONOMICAL REPAIR DUE TO THE COST OF DECONTAMINATION.
NTSB IS ALSO WORKING THIS INCIDENT UNDER WPR23LA167. PRIOR CASES OF DEF CONTAMINATION HAD SAFETY RECOMMENDATION TO BAN DEF AT AIRPORTS BUT THIS WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL DUE TO EPA ACCORDING TO FAA AVIATION FUELS OFFICE OF SENIOR TECHNICAL EXPERTS AVIATION SAFETY | AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION SERVICE. I AM CURRENTLY WORKING WITH NTSB AND FAA SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS BRANCH OFFICE OF ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION TO SUBMIT A SAFETY RECOMMENDATION FOR ADDING COLORED DYE TO THE FUELING TRUCK DEF CONTAINERS OR SOME TYPE OF LABELING/STORAGE SOLUTION TO MITIGATE THE RISK. I AM ALSO COLLABORATING WITH THE AIRCRAFT DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID CONTAMINATION WORKING GROUP ON THIS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.